Mean Girls

I saw Tina Fey's new movie Mean Girls on Sunday with my friend Sara. Despite the advertising, which was clearly trying to make their target audience believe that this was just another bubblegum-y teen comedy, I had faith that the brilliant Fey would come up with something bitingly satirical and intelligent. I was not disappointed. The movie is based on the nonfiction book Queen Bees and Wannabes, which I've been wanting to read since hearing about it on Oprah, and the book and movie comment on the horrifying girl-on-girl cruelty that we seem hardwired to engage in. There seems to be a pervasive belief in our society (and this is probably not limited to girls/women) that if someone else is successful (or pretty, or happy), then you can't be also.

It's all tied in with self-esteem, and dovetails with a wonderful insight I read yesterday in Annie Modesitt's Confessions of a Knitting Heretic in her essay "The Power of Positive Thinking":

We - women especially - have been taught that it is somehow attractive to adopt an attitude of false modesty when we discuss something that we've created. It's as if we feel it's more polite to pretend that we couldn't possibly have made anything useful or beautiful. Even worse are friends who comment, when seeing a beautiful hand made item, "You made that? I hate you!"

That has to stop now. It's not productive, it's not helpful and it doesn't advance our minds, hearts or souls one bit!

Thank you, Annie! I get that "I hate you" a lot - and what does one say to that? "Thank you"??

Knitting News

Rogue is very close to being finished - I'm near the top of the hood. I haven't gotten around to buying a zipper, or learning how to sew in a zipper, but I have some resources for the latter. I sure wish I had my finished Rogue sweater today... it's soooooo cold outside! What's up with that? I wanna wear all my pretty new summer clothes!

I started a new cotton sweater - a leaf panel top in blueish green mercerized cotton. You can see the sweater in Karabella's ad in the current Vogue Knitting. The pattern is for a sleeveless, but I think cap sleeves will be more flattering on me, so I'm making them up. It's a bit of a challenge, as the leaf panels in the front and sides are supposed to travel up and go around the high neck, and I would like to preserve that somehow. I'm thinking that instead of having the side panels travel up along the raglan lines, I'll bind them off under the arm, and then have the leaf panels continue at the center of the sleeves and up the neck.

And guess what? I finally have my DSL service back, so I can upload some pictures from home tonight. Thanks to all who left kind comments about my poncho. For those who were interested in buying the pattern, I'll have to think about it. Since the pattern was adapted from a School Products store pattern, I'm not sure that I really own the copywright. Then again, Berta probably wouldn't mind if I sold my version, so I'll ask her what she thinks.

And on the job front...
Sorry to be such a tease with my comment about a job change. I wasn't sure I wanted to go completely public with the news yet. Here's the deal: I've decided to take a full-time position at the church where I currently work part-time. This of course means leaving my yarn shop job, which is sad, but the new position at the church offers me more money, flexibility, and autonomy. I'll be overseeing welcoming and membership, starting in August. Something kind of wierd is that I've been very hesitant to tell most of my knitting friends that I'm leaving School Products, perhaps because I feel like having a job at a yarn shop lends me some kind of status in knitting circles. It's really silly, though. As my friend Lisa suggested, perhaps I can keep my status just by being a good knitter! (And really, I should not worry so much about status in knitting circles - what is this, high school? Here I am back in Mean Girls land....)

Comments

[Allana]

Congrats on the new job. It sounds like a lot of fun. And no nonsense about the knitting job! Your "status" as a knitter is not about the job. It is the respect everyone has for your awesome talent and creativity, not to mention your generosity in sharing your knowledge with others. Has nothing to do with retail...

[Ellen]

Ditto on what Allana said. You're an excellent knitter and I will continue to be impressed by your calm and cooperative creativity. My only concern is this: who is going to let me know when SP has new cashmere in stock?

[Alison]

Thanks Ellen and Allana!

Ellen, you'll just have to make friends with Anne and Alissa who will be working there in my stead. Maybe we can convince them to join UWS or U-UWS Knitters.

[Kitty]

Congrats on the job change, Alison...was it a difficult decision to make? I bet it'll be nice not running around town from job to job :)

[Kitty]

Congrats on the job change, Alison...was it a difficult decision to make? I bet it'll be nice not running around town from job to job :)

[Kerstin]

Oh! You've struck a chord here. I've only received the "I hate you" line once or twice (if I've heard it more, I've blocked it out) and I've NEVER understood why anyone in their right mind would say it! I love, love, LOVE when I see what other women create. The whole issue of jealousy is really a sore point with me. I don't understand it at all. Probably has to do with the lack of respect in our culture for women in general. I'll have to see Tina Fey's new movie. I love her, too! :)

[Stacy]

What a thoughtful and thought-provoking post. I've been wanting to see the movie too. (I also love Tina Fey.) I'll have to check out the book as well....

And, I agree with the others, your "status" in our group is based on your great knitting talent and your great personality. Those things won't change, so you don't need to worry.

Congratulations on your new job! Having just joined a church, I'd love to hear more about your job.

[athena]

congrats, alison!

[athena]

oh! i forgot! will you still be at school products and will you be there this saturday for the yarn crawl (3:15pm to 4:15pm)?

[k8et]

hi alison! athena relayed the message about saturday to me (i can't find your email addy on here)

thanks for the scoop! i emailed SP and never heard back from them. we'll come earlier! what time is Lily going to be there?

katie

[maryse]

hmmm no one ever says they hate me when i show them what i've made...maybe it's not that good.

kidding!

[Lynnette]

The "Mean Girls" thing reminds me of something I heard: When you want your hair to REALLY look beautiful, have it done by a guy. To a guy, your hair is his masterpiece. A woman won't want you to look as good as she does, so she won't do her best--do you buy it?
Congrats on the job! :):):)

[Jeanine]

Hey Alison,

I'm just catching up on everything. Congratulations on the new job to the excellent knitter!